Garth Brooks

Good thing he had a solid middle name, since Troyal Brooks wouldn't make a good stage name. Troyal Garth Brooks was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the youngest child of Troyal Raymond Brooks and Colleen Carroll. His father was a draftsman for an oil company and his mother was a 1950s-era country singer who recorded on the Capitol Records label.

The family hosted weekly talent nights and Garth, his sister and four older half-siblings were required to participate, either by singing or doing skits. Brooks learned to play both the guitar and banjo.

Garth's primary focus as a child was athletics. In high school, he played football and baseball and ran track and field. He received a track scholarship to Oklahoma State University, where he competed in the javelin. He graduated in 1984 with a degree in advertising.